


Thursdays

by sohox



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Animal Shelters, Broken Hearts, M/M, brush your teeth after reading, softer than Barbara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 02:29:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20771039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sohox/pseuds/sohox
Summary: Link falls in love with a little pup while he's volunteering at a Dog Rescue. One day, she's not there any more.





	Thursdays

**Author's Note:**

> Now for something completely different...

It didn’t take long for Thursdays to become Link’s favorite day of the week. He had taken his therapist’s advice to seek out more fulfillment and registered to volunteer at his city’s dog rescue. Once a week he would leave his office at Mythos Consulting, change his clothes in the engineering firm’s large communal bathroom, and walk across the park to the animal shelter. Being around the organized chaos of all of the pups, the never ending energy, the unconditional joy that the animals exuded toward him, made the rest of the work week bearable. 

He loves all of the dogs there. He knows their names, their back stories, he even knows which tree they will try to mark first when he takes them for a walk. There were some that he would double up; pups that were friendly or bonded, some that were small and could be counted on to behave. There were others like Boscoe, a big lab strong enough to pull Link’s six-foot frame down the sidewalk without even trying. Boscoe got a private walk where Link could focus and control where they roamed. 

And then there’s Barbara. She is a mess of white curls, so soft she felt like silk. She had stolen Link’s heart the first day he came to the shelter, hopped up next to him on the couch where he sat, filling out his volunteer paperwork. He knew he was a goner as soon as she wiggled her way under his arm and curled up in his lap, asleep before he knew what was happening. 

He always saves Barbara’s walk for last, partly because she will go crazy as soon as she sees him, and partly because if he took her out last he could stretch out their walk, giving her extra time to play in the grassy park, give her a few extra belly rubs before it is time to say goodbye. If he hadn’t lived in a studio loft in a four floor walk up, he would’ve have taken her home with him already. 

That Thursday, he pushes his way into the door, balancing a smoothie and his phone in one hand, his other tossing a wave to Emily, the redheaded office manager who was sitting across from a man. A gorgeous man, with a mess of dark golden hair atop his head, falling just shy of his grey green eyes. The man had a smile on his face that rounded his cheeks above his beard in the sweetest way. Link can feel heat rising into his own cheeks as they lock eyes. 

“Hey Link! You’re just taking the little ones out today. Chase had to take Boscoe to the vet and they’re still gone. I’ll help ya as soon as I finish up with Mr. McLaughlin here.” 

“Got it, Emily, I know what to do.” He gives her a little salute, earning a chuckle from the tall man at the desk. Link blushes, feeling mildly accomplished at the man’s reaction.

He goes through the motions, visiting the little ones, taking them one by one until each had a few laps in the park. It feels so nice to walk around in the cool autumn breeze, the energy of each little pup infectious. He smiles at every tiny bark, every excited tug as one of the dogs sees a squirrel or chases a passing car. 

He led the last little pup back into the shop, giving it a scratch behind its ears, tucking it back into its kennel for the evening. He grabs a few extra dog treats from the jar at the front desk, making his way to the back, toward the kennels next to the big wall of windows. It was Barbara’s turn next, and he felt like spoiling her a little. 

“C’mon Babs, it’s your turn…” he comes to a stop in front of the empty kennel, his blood turning to ice, seeing the folded up blanket on the floor, the empty acrylic placard where her profile used to be. 

—

“She was adopted!” Emily practically sings. “You should be happy, Link! She deserves to have a home of her own! Her new family has a  _ yard _ for her to play in!”

Link can feel his shoulders slump. He agreed with Emily, of course, but his heart is still aching. All the good feelings that normally came from working at the shelter fleeing his body. “I know, Em. She does deserve that. She was just…”

“She was your favorite, I know. But what do I always say, Link? Huh? What’s the first rule of Pup Club?”

Link responds, miserably, “you don’t fall in love with a pup unless you intend to bring them home.”

“Right. And what’s the second rule of Pup Club?”

Link can’t help but feel a tiny smile tug at his lips, “you  _ don’t _ fall in love with a pup unless you intend to bring them home.”

“That’s the spirit!” Emily face lights up, a smile blooming in her cheeks. She takes his small laugh as a sign to push a broom into his hand. “Now get back to the kennels. You’ve got doody duty!” 

—

After a long internal debate, Link returns to the shelter the following Thursday. He’d almost considered not going back at all but he knows how much Emily needs the help. It still hurt to see the little kennel by the big window, now housing a tiny golden dachshund. She was also sweet, but she wasn’t Barbara. 

The tinkle of the bell above the door chimes and pulls Link out of his reverie and he looks up in time to see a bundle of white scampering through the door.

The moment she sees Link, Barbara is tugging and struggling against her leash. Her tiny yelps are piercing loud, straight through Link’s heart, and she finally breaks free, running at full speed and jumping up at him, her little paws bouncing off of him every time she springs up. 

The tall man’s eyes look wide, tired, almost glazed over. His hair is even messier than it had been a week ago, his blue t-shirt is rumpled, stretched tight over his chest. “Oh gosh, I’m so glad you’re here” he says when his eyes land on Link. “I honestly don’t know what else to do! She hasn’t stopped whimpering since the day I brought her home. I’ve tried everythi-” 

Link leans down and scoops Barbara up into his arms, cradling her like a baby, one hand bracing her against his chest and the other begins to stroke a soft soothing pattern behind her ear. She calms in an instant, and when Link looks up into the tall man’s face, he sees him visibly relax, body deflating as he leans against the front counter. He looks like the weight of the world just fell off his strong, broad shoulders. 

“I tried everything, man. She just wouldn’t stop cryin’, and she wouldn’t eat her food. She’ll eat  _ my _ food, but she won’t eat hers.” 

Link’s lips twitch into a tiny sad smile despite himself. “She won’t eat just anything. Didn’t Emily tell you? Barbara is a diva, and demands the best.” He’s still nuzzling his cheek against Barbara’s soft fur. “Hi, I’m Link. I didn’t realize you were the one that adopted Barbara. I saw you in here that day. I just...I wish I’d had a chance to tell her goodbye.”

“I’m Rhett. I’m so sorry, man. I didn’t know you would’a wanted to say goodbye.” 

“Yeah, Barbara’s always been my favorite…” he trails off. He can’t stand the forlorn look on Rhett’s face. “But! I’m glad she’s been adopted. She deserves more than to be cooped up here. You just gotta know how to cater to her whims. Lucky for you, I’m a Barbara expert.” 

— 

Over the next couple of weeks Link explains all the little details of Barbara to her new dad _ .  _ Rhett would come by on Thursdays toward the end of Link’s shift at the shelter and they would walk Barbara over to the park across the road. Link found himself spending hours showing Rhett the handful of tricks he’d taught Barbara over the few months he’d known her. 

They practice teaching her to stay, to lay, to roll over on command, and they both praise her for a job well done, their hands getting tangled up sometimes when petting her, scrubbing behind her ears and all over her belly when she nailed a trick. Link’s favorite part comes at the end of their standing play dates, when Rhett will pick Barbara up until she is eye level with Link, crowding next to the smaller man, bodies close together, giving Barbara an opportunity to lavish Link with tiny kisses to his cheeks. 

Eventually Rhett even aks Link for his phone number so that he can send him little videos of Barbara when she enters a puppy dream, her tiny legs kicking in her sleep, tiny yelps squeaking out of her. 

Link would watch the videos with a huge grin plastered to his face. Sometimes Rhett would just send a photo, usually a selfie, with Barbara in frame. Sometimes Link would just scroll through their text thread, staring hard at the face in the pictures. Then he would fixate on the little heart emoji that always accompanied them. Once or twice he event sent back a similar photo, sans puppy, with a  _ goodnight _ , punctuated with a heart of his own. 

It’s Thursday again and they’re sitting on a park bench, facing the setting sun, letting Barbara jump on their laps between them. He loved the way Rhett’s face lit up when Barbara finally climbs onto Rhett’s legs, licking at his throat right under his beard. He can feel his heart constrict when a melodious laugh tumbles from Rhett’s mouth and he thinks,  _ This is what it’s all about. They can be happy together.  _ And if Rhett would let him stay even a tiny part of the equation, Link would be happy, too. 

Rhett turns toward Link, one arm slung behind him on the back of the park bench, the other holding Barbara’s tiny wiggling body as he surveys the smaller man’s face. They’re sitting close together, barely enough room for Barbara to settle between them, curling up to sleep. ”You should let me buy you an ice cream or somethin’” He said, taking Link completely by surprise. “You know...as a thank you for all the time you’ve spent with us.” There was a tiny nervous smile lurking under his beard, his voice impossibly soft. 

“You don’t have to thank me, Rhett. I love spending time with you…” he stops, realizing exactly what he’s said, then tries to cover it by adding “...you, both. You and Barbara, I mean.”

“Right.” Rhett replies back, that soft smile still turning up the corners of his lips  _ just so.  _ When he speaks again, his voice is light, jovial. “Well, the thing is, Link, Barbara’s been tellin’ me that as much as she loves these Thursdays, her foreseeable schedule looks pretty busy. So she might not be able to make it out as often as she wants to.”

“Oh.” Link’s heart feels like it’s in his throat,  _ is he saying their weekly time together is over? Is he about to lose Barbara all over again?  _ “Oh, I understand. She’s a busy girl.” 

“Yeah, very busy. So you might have to settle for hangin’ out with just me.” Link looks up, staring at Rhett. His face is cast in the warm glow of the sunset and all Link wants to do is to see if his lips taste as sweet as they look. 

“Just you?” He implores, leaning in to Rhett’s space and Rhett does the same, nodding. 

Their lips whisper against each other, and Rhett breathes out a word “ _ finally”  _ into Link’s mouth before pulling him closer, arm coming down from the park bench and tangling in the back of Link’s hair. Rhett presses deeper into the kiss, his tongue finding the seam of Link’s lips, asking a question Link is  _ so _ happy to answer. They stay like that, exploring each other with soft, gentle kisses, until long after the sun sets. 

“Thursdays?” Link finally asks, mouth swollen from Rhett’s attention. 

Rhett responds with a tiny shake of his head, golden hair swaying with the movement. “ _ Everyday,  _ Link. Every single day.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at lighterheadheavyheart.tumblr.com


End file.
